2015 49ers Draft Needs

Updating this after the season. A lot will change before the draft with free agency, trades, and retirements.

Possible Needs:
WR - Crabtree will be gone and Johnson will likely have to restructure (6.025, 6.125) to stay with us. If he doesn't it's need #1 no doubt. If he's back it's up to us if we want to roll with Boldin, Johnson, Patton, Ellington but we could draft a wr in the 1st or 2nd instead of counting on unknowns in Ellington and Patton. We could also trade for Gordon or another vet (was nearly done last year) or sign a bargain FA like Cecil Shorts. That would make it less likely we go after a WR at 15.

Pass Rushing DL - TJE is a FA after this year I expect him gone. A lot will depend on if Smith retires. If he does then are we comfortable with Williams/Dial, Dorsey, Carradine as our starters? That leaves Ramsey as the 5th DL. We would definitely need a mid round pick for depth or we could take one in the 1st/2nd to compete with those 4 guys for a starting spot.

OL - Kilgore should be the center of the future. I think Iupati will be gone after this year and Boone after next year. If we don't think Thomas, Martin or Looney can fill in those 1 spot (later 2 spots) then it's a need for us. We can save 1.042 mil (0 dead money) by cutting Martin who was up and down this year and that would mean a need for 3rd T. Also, no guarantee Boone isn't traded this offseason and could even cut him to save 3 mil with only 340k dead. Not likely but it's possible.

Backup QB - Gabbert and Johnson are FA's after this year. We need to pick a guy in rounds 3-4 and develop him to be the backup of the future. No more playing with broken washed up vets.

CB Depth - Culliver, Cox and Cook will all be FA's after this year but I could see Cox and possibly Cook (camp comp) back. We've done a good job with developing CB's and have a top 5 pass D despite no pass rush. I'd be fine going into next year with Brock, Cox, Ward/Johnson, Reaser, Acker and maybe a rookie to compete with Acker or Reaser. McFadden could also push Acker or Reaser for a spot. So I could see CB early but I could see it late or not at all. If we keep Fangio, Donatell and company I won't worry about CB as much since they have done a good job with whoever they have to work with.

RB Depth - I think Gore re-signs to a team friendly deal for 1 (maybe 2 years). Do we think Hunter will be camp competition or do we expect him to be 100% and a factor? Millard could be short yardage #4 back. Gore, Hyde, Hunter, Millard. Doubt we take Gordon or Gurley early if Gore is back. If not maybe. Could take a mid round guy to compete with Hunter for a spot.

4th and/or 5th S - Dahl will likely be gone as we can save 1.7 mil by cutting him next year. Reid, Bethea and Ward will likely be 1-3. So we will likely need a #4 and/or 5 depending on how McCray does. Someone who can play ST at a high level as well.

4th or 5th OLB - I think we will extend Aldon before his contract is up after 2015. Lynch and Aldon should be the future. Having Brooks take a pay cut or even trading or cutting him should be in our plans. If he's gone then I could see Skuta back and then maybe draft someone to compete with Lemonier for the last spot. If Brooks takes a big pay cut and stays which is unlikely then, we are set with Aldon, Lynch, Brooks, Skuta?/Lemonier?

TE - Doubt we trade Vernon after this year but if we could get say a 1st, 2nd or 3rd we would have to think about it with him having 1 year left and being 31-32 by that time and wanting big money. If we do TE could be a 1st or 2nd round need. If we don't it's up to us when we want to draft his replacement. McDonald should finish out his contract as the #2 or 3, Carrier is with us at least another year as the #2 or 3.

4th ILB - Bowman, Willis, Borland, Rookie/Moody/Wilhoite (if re-signed). If they don't plan on re-signing Wilhoite and Moody isn't the answer then they could draft one in the mid to late rounds.

No Need:
FB - Miller plus Millard coming in later this year or next year.

I think DL and OL depth is always vital. Depth at safety is something else I'd look at, most of the backup safeties are special teams guys and not guys who can play the position very well.


If I had to list them by priority->


DE-Yes the 49ers have depth with Carradine and Dial but Justin Smith is on the way out here soon and McDonald has had injury issues over the past few years. TJE is a free agent at the end of the season and another quality DL prospect to keep a fresh rotation, as well as potentially a late round/undrafted guy for Tomsula to work with is just what the doctor ordered. Need to keep building depth in that area and keep the DL as a strength.

CB-Need to continue building the secondary, no idea if Culliver is coming back or not so more depth here, even potentially a starter, will be key.

OG-49ers have depth now but if both Iupati and Boone are gone, then depth would necessarily and a potential starter added.

FS-Need a true backup safety, one that can be dependable in coverage.

WR-Boldin's aging, Lloyd might be a one year rental, I hope the 49ers keep doing what they've been doing the past few years and keep adding receivers.

QB-Definitely need a backup QB, I was hoping that they'd draft a guy like Aaron Murray in the previous draft but it was not meant to be.

Agree, wish we would have taken a Murray/Connor Shaw type 4 year guy who maybe don't have much upside but can come in and be a game manager off the bat. You really can't ask a lot out of your backup other than to not lose you games with a team like this. There aren't many backups that can win you games and if they can do that then they will be signed to a big deal to start in no time. So I hope we take a guy in the 3rd, maybe 2nd (4th at latest) to develop and be the backup of the future.

I think Culliver will be back so Brock, Culliver, Ward, Cox/Cook (whoever is re-signed), Johnson, Morris/Acker. Right there is 6 guys assuming we re-sign whoever does the best between Cox and Cook. Maybe some late round competition but if our chart looks like that would you still take a guy early to mid rounds? Unless we would move Ward to S full time I think we would still be in good shape next year CB wise. Then again we don't know how Cox/Cook, Johnson and Morris/Acker will play. Could be a high need but could not be a need at all.

Sounds like Crabtree is back so I don't see WR being a need before the late mid rounds. Crabtree, Boldin, Johnson, Ellington, Patton...

I agree need a 4th/5th S who can play S well and still perform well on ST.

I could see OL being our #1 pick especially if we lose Iupati and Boone. Now that Dorsey is back not sure DL would be taken before say round 4 or 5.. a #7 guy for the future. McDonald, Dorsey, Smith, Williams, Carradine, Dial, Draft Pick... Then I say hit DL up in the 1st or 2nd if Smith retires and with McDonald being a FA and getting up there. So this year likely a mid to late round pick then 2016 draft hit DL in the 1st or 2nd.

The good thing is we have a lot of versatility in the draft. Right now we don't have any huge need it's just depth. Although, we only have 8 picks and that's if Martin doesn't make the roster. We will probably have a couple of lower comp picks as well but we dont have the extra 2nd or 3rd we are use to so it's a good thing we probably won't have many or any major needs.

edit: updated my list with the dorsey extension allows us to move cb/wr depth up the list and dl depth down the list.

Originally posted by Gore_21:
Agree, wish we would have taken a Murray/Connor Shaw type 4 year guy who maybe don't have much upside but can come in and be a game manager off the bat. You really can't ask a lot out of your backup other than to not lose you games with a team like this. There aren't many backups that can win you games and if they can do that then they will be signed to a big deal to start in no time. So I hope we take a guy in the 3rd, maybe 2nd (4th at latest) to develop and be the backup of the future.

I think Culliver will be back so Brock, Culliver, Ward, Cox/Cook (whoever is re-signed), Johnson, Morris/Acker. Right there is 6 guys assuming we re-sign whoever does the best between Cox and Cook. Maybe some late round competition but if our chart looks like that would you still take a guy early to mid rounds? Unless we would move Ward to S full time I think we would still be in good shape next year CB wise. Then again we don't know how Cox/Cook, Johnson and Morris/Acker will play. Could be a high need but could not be a need at all.

Sounds like Crabtree is back so I don't see WR being a need before the late mid rounds. Crabtree, Boldin, Johnson, Ellington, Patton...

I agree need a 4th/5th S who can play S well and still perform well on ST.

I could see OL being our #1 pick especially if we lose Iupati and Boone. Now that Dorsey is back not sure DL would be taken before say round 4 or 5.. a #7 guy for the future. McDonald, Dorsey, Smith, Williams, Carradine, Dial, Draft Pick... Then I say hit DL up in the 1st or 2nd if Smith retires and with McDonald being a FA and getting up there. So this year likely a mid to late round pick then 2016 draft hit DL in the 1st or 2nd.

The good thing is we have a lot of versatility in the draft. Right now we don't have any huge need it's just depth. Although, we only have 8 picks and that's if Martin doesn't make the roster. We will probably have a couple of lower comp picks as well but we dont have the extra 2nd or 3rd we are use to so it's a good thing we probably won't have many or any major needs.

edit: updated my list with the dorsey extension allows us to move cb/wr depth up the list and dl depth down the list.

Idk maybe I'm not paying enough attention but I actually think DL and WR are positions of need.

I know you wont agree but for some reason I think we go WR in the 1st round next year. With such a thick roster I could actually see us trading up. The draft is loaded with #2s. Cooper, Diggs, Strong, DGB. Daniels, Parker. If we lock up Crab it would make sense to find his compliment for the life of the extension. For multiple reason I think the draft is the right way to go.

Baalke gets to scout a true compliment for Crab. Probably a shifty burner like Diggs or Cooper. Or a tall RZ target that demands a double team therefore opening up the field for Crab.

Instead of paying 5mil for SJ or 6mil for Boldin you get a rookie contract with real upside. Im not saying we .cut them although I might say that about SJ. What Im saying is thats how much were paying for a 2WR. One of which is 33 and the other is coming off an injury and appears to have drop problems.

Its a real roster building move. Complete control over Kaeps 2nd WR and a key cog in the new offense.

I also think we need another DE. Not just a DE. An explosive pass rusher. I feel really good about Carradine but I want multiple interior rushers. I think we're moving into a roster without Smith and Mcdonald within the next couple of years. Both of them will play out their contract but I don't think either get resigned. As much respect as the FO has for them the FO wont want to commit premium money on them at their age. Dial and Carradine clearly indicate that. Theres a starter and a strong rotational player between those two. So I look at the future Dline rotation like this

Carradine
Dorsey, Williams
Dial

I think we need another explosive pass rusher behind Dial. I want someone with quickness because I dont think we have that kind of player on the roster after Smith leaves. Carradine may be the answer but he seems like a more of a power rusher. I want someone a little more compact that can bust open gaps and make plays in the backfield. Dorsey can rotate behind Carradine as a run stopper but Dial at RDE needs a gap penetrator too. He may just convert that power and motor into a 4-6 sack season but idk. I think we need that kind of production on that side tho. I haven't forgotten about TJE either. I don't think he's a starter though. A strong rotational player but not a future starter,

I really don't think they'll go Oline in the 1st. When we were rebuilding it made sense but there's so much depth on the line I just don't think it makes sense. Thomas, Martin, Martin, and Seymour are real options to be a starter. Oline seems like a late round pick if anything but even then Thomas, Martin, and Martin were the Oline pick we develop over the next couple of years.I don't we can develop anymore on the roster. But I do see what could be a glaring hole at guard with Iupati and Boone up in the air but if we resign Iupati then we have Seymour and Thomas as backups.

With Baalke I wouldn't rule out WR or DL in the 1st you never know what to expect from him. I really don't know what we will do in the first. Could be G, WR, DL or CB really don't have any idea. I actually think we should go WR/DL 1/2 in the 2016 draft (although could change) since Boldin's contract would be up and Johnson if still with us would have 1 year left. Would depend on Ellington and Patton though and if they could be #2 or #3s. Then as for DL Smith/McDonald/Williams contracts would be up, Carradine/Dorsey would have 1 year left. So just kind of see where the season and offseason takes us but I think we could take then mid to late and then I say hit DL/WR early in 2016. Maybe even 1st DL, 2nd WR, 3rd or 4th DL

As for guard if we can extend either Iupati or Boone we should be good with Looney or Thomas at the other side. Like you said if we lose both then can Thomas and Looney both takeover and play well? Could be a big need but I see us re-signing one of the guys and Looney/Thomas at the other. Then it's really not to big of a need. Of course a lot will change over the year so we will see how everyone does. The good thing is I don't really see us having any glaring holes besides backup QB so we should be free to go BPA with a lot of options. We could do some trading up or could trade picks away completely.

The only thing I got right in our last draft was that Baalke would do the unexpected.

At this VERY early point, I'm guessing that OLine will be a priority. Injuries, contract issues are always factors.

We need to look at "grooming" Staley's eventual replacement. If he goes down and Boone isn't resigned that position will be crucial to fill.

I'm really hoping Martin can step up and be that guy but the jury is still out.

I believe the wars are won in the trenches and my next focus for the draft is DLine.

Ray Mac is really good BUT the clock is winding down w/injuries and age. We need one more high quality player as Justin is also in his last season or 2.

Currently, Dial, Tank, Ian, Dorsey are very solid. I'm also hoping Lynch can be that guy who can fill the void.

Backup QB is by far the biggest need, but you can't really say that will be our biggest draft priority. Its not like they're going to spend a 1st round pick there.

DE is one place I think we'll look at early next year. As already pointed out, our starters are aging. I like Dial & Carradine (much more than I ever liked Dobbs or TJE), but if a potentially dominate prospect falls than I think we'll pick him up. Competition is good and the loser will provide better depth than we've had in years.

OG is guaranteed to be a popular pick in the media given our style of play, Boone's issues, and the expected loss of Iupati. Martin, Looney, & Thomas provide enough depth imo. I have to think that we'll only need one starter there since Boone is under contract next year. I just don't see them trading him unless they have full confidence one of the three behind him can actually play. I'd put this even with DE in the sense we won't reach for one but will happily take one should he fall into our laps.

CB, S, OT, RB, even WR are all possibilities simply because we're not truly desperate enough at any position to force a pick early on. Overall, I don't see "need" pushing us in any particular direction on draft day.

I am calling it right now... next year Baalke goes Safety in the 1st round for the 3rd year in a row.

CB or WR in the first. Then again... I say that every year.

1. Safety to take over for Bethea

2. Back up QB, maybe in rounds 3-5.....and for real this time!!!

3. NT - 2nd round preferably

4. DE - Behind Justin Smith is Tank Carradine, behind Carradine is ???????

Originally posted by Kolohe:
1. Safety to take over for Bethea

2. Back up QB, maybe in rounds 3-5.....and for real this time!!!

3. NT - 2nd round preferably

4. DE - Behind Justin Smith is Tank Carradine, behind Carradine is ???????

1. Would be Ward, right?

2. We do need a QB to groom behind Kap.

3. Yeah competition would be nice at NT.

4. Dial. Dude is a beast.

Like most fans, you'd like for your draft picks to pan out. Based off of what I've seen in preseason action and from reading reports, I think we'll be fine with our 2013 and 2014 drafts. With that said, if Baalke hits a homerun like he did in 2011 with those drafts (or even matches the success of 2010), what other needs would we have? This is what I can see us going for in 2015.


1. Wide receiver: If Lloyd and Stevie Johnson work out, I'd say this is the best GROUP of 49ers receivers in history. Yes, they can potentially be that good. Of course we've had better 1's (Jerry Rice and Terrell Owens), but have we ever had it so good where the fourth receiver was the caliber of a Stevie Johnson or Brandon Lloyd? Or the fifth and sixth guys were young guys like Quinton Patton and Bruce Ellington? With that said, this great depth won't last long. It's not guarantee that Johnson and Lloyd work out and Boldin is getting older, along with his contract being up after the 2015 season. And although a supposed deal with Crabtree is on the horizon, he isn't signed longterm yet. Bruce Ellington adds an element of speed and quickness, but I'd like for us to get a real burner, with elite speed. If we have Crabtree, Boldin, Johnson, Patton, and Ellington, we can afford to spend a pick on a guy with more of the straight line elite speed. We have plenty of good route runners with good hands.

2. Tackle- Even if we had Alex Boone, I'd still pound the table for a tackle. I don't like the idea of having the reshuffle the lineup if a tackle goes down.

3. Nose tackle- With the Glenn Dorsey extension, this is strictly depth.

4. Quarterback- No explanation needed.

5. Safety: Not great depth here.

6. Defensve end: Seems like overkill, but when Justin Smith is retired and Carradine becomes a starter, we will still need another guy in the rotation. I'm excited about Lawrenece Okoye, but we can't count him yet.

7. Guard: Depth once again.

Hopefully next year we get Ifo

27. 49ers: Ifo Ekpre-Olomu CB Oregon This team has traditionally relied on older corners, and should draft more youth.

Originally posted by ColinKap:
Hopefully next year we get Ifo

27. 49ers: Ifo Ekpre-Olomu CB Oregon This team has traditionally relied on older corners, and should draft more youth.

We definitely are much younger now. Brock and Cox are probably our "oldest" corners in terms of NFL seasons, entering into year 5, aren't they? Outside of that, Culliver, Cook (if he sticks), Ward, Johnson, Acker, and Reaser give us a pretty young group of corners. I'd still draft one anyway in 2015, but there is a serious youth movement going on in our secondary.

I'd also look at safety because our backups have probably hit their ceilings.

My core players who should be apart of the future.

QB Colin Kaepernick
RB Carlos Hyde
RB Marcus Lattimore
FB Bruce Miller
FB Trey Millard (Play some H-Back, and TE)
WR Michael Crabtree (Re-Signed soon I hope)
WR Bruce Ellington
WR Quinton Patton
WR Stevie Johnson (He is good, should be here for a few years at a reasonable salary)
TE Vernon Davis (I love Davis, I hope they work out an extension with him next year)
TE Vance McDonald
C Daniel Kilgore
C/OG Marcus Martin
OG/OT Brandon Thomas (Not sure if he will play Left or Right Guard)
LT Joe Staley
RT Anthony Davis

DE Tank Carradine
NT Glenn Dorsey (Could play some DE if we don't draft or sign a new DE)
NT Ian Williams
NT/DE Quinton Dial
OLB Aldon Smith (Extended next year)
OLB Ahmad Brooks (Still has a good amount of years left in hm)
OLB Corey Lemonier
ILB Patrick Willis (Extended next year before he hits FA in 2017)
ILB NaVorro Bowman (I'm confident he comes back 100% by 2015, if not by playoff time)
ILB Chris Borland
CB Tramaine Brock
CB Chris Culliver (Re-Signed next year or mid season)
CB Dontae Johnson
CB Darryl Morris
CB Keith Reaser
FS Eric Reid
SS Antoine Bethea (I love his leadership, should stick for a few years, I don't view him as a 2yr deal like some do)
SS Jimmie Ward

P Andy Lee
LS Kevin McDermott

Others I can see sticking for right price or due to talent.

RB LaMichael James
RG Alex Boone (Unsure if they view him here long term, at least at Boone's asking price)
OG Joe Looney

DE Kaleb Ramsey (Could have a future if he gets healthy)
OLB Dan Skuta (For right price, he could be a great backup OLB, and ST Ace, also ILB if needed)
CB Kenneth Acker (If he sticks, and doesn't get claimed or released)
FS C.J. Spillman (For right price he could stick around)